Gene and Cell Therapy Research Symposium

The Mass General Brigham Gene and Cell Therapy Institute's annual symposium is an exploration of the dynamic research landscape within the Mass General Brigham community, uniting trailblazers who are driving advancements in gene therapies, cell therapies, and gene editing techniques to combat human diseases.

Attendees listening to a presentation at the 2023 Gene and Cell Therapy Symposium

Jump to:

Uniting Gene and Cell Therapy Experts

December 11-12, 2025

The Gene and Cell Therapy Institute (GCTI)'s annual research symposium stands as a global hub, drawing in esteemed researchers, accomplished scientists, and industry professionals from across the globe. Together, they share a common goal of disseminating knowledge, unveiling cutting-edge breakthroughs, and envisioning the transformative potential within the realm of gene and cell therapy.

What sets the symposium apart is its commitment to cultivating a unique and collaborative environment. The 2025 event (December 11-12) will feature keynote speakers Carl H. June, PhD and David R. Liu, PhD and engaging discussions by leading pioneers in gene and cell therapy research, as well as plentiful opportunities for networking and collaboration among attendees.

Patient panel at the 2024 Gene and Cell Therapy Research Symposium

2025 Gene and Cell Therapy Research Symposium

The 3rd annual Gene and Cell Therapy Research Symposium will take place December 11-12, 2025, bringing together researchers, clinicians, and the greater scientific community dedicated to advancing gene and cell therapy.

Members of the Mass General Brigham research community and interested industry will have the opportunity to:

Connect with fellow attendees
Engage in thought-provoking discussions
Participate in poster sessions
Forge partnerships with leading experts in the gene and cell therapy field

This 2-day event will showcase the forefront of cutting-edge research, innovative technologies, and emerging trends that are propelling gene and cell therapy into an exciting future.

Attendee asking a question during a session at the 2023 Gene and Cell Therapy Research Symposium

2025 Keynote Speakers

Carl H. June, PhD

Day 1 Keynote Speaker
Carl H. June, PhD - UPenn

Carl H. June, PhD is the Richard W. Vague Professor in Immunotherapy at the University of Pennsylvania, serving as Director of the Center for Cellular Immunotherapies and Director of Translational Research at the Abramson Cancer Center. He is also an investigator at the Abramson Family Cancer Research Institute. A Naval Academy graduate and trained at Baylor College of Medicine, he worked under Nobel Laureate E. Donnell Thomas at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. His lab's work on lymphocyte activation and immune tolerance has significantly advanced adoptive immunotherapy for cancer and chronic infection. In 2011, his team's pioneering gene transfer therapy led to the development of CAR T cell therapies, now FDA-approved. June has published over 500 manuscripts and received numerous honors, including membership in the National Academy of Sciences and the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.

David R. Liu, PhD

Day 2 Keynote Speaker
David R. Liu, PhD - The Broad Institute

David R. Liu, PhD is the Richard Merkin Professor and Director of the Merkin Institute of Transformative Technologies in Healthcare, and Vice Chair of the Faculty at the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard. He also holds the Thomas Dudley Cabot Professorship of Natural Sciences at Harvard University and is a Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. Liu’s groundbreaking work integrates chemistry and evolutionary techniques to develop next-generation therapeutics, notably in genome editing technologies like base and prime editing. These methods have revolutionized the approach to treating genetic diseases. Liu, a Harvard College valedictorian and U.C. Berkeley Ph.D. graduate, has published over 220 papers and holds more than 85 U.S. patents. His accolades include memberships in the U.S. National Academy of Sciences and Medicine, and founding roles in several leading biotech firms, including Beam Therapeutics and Editas Medicine.

2025 Symposium details

Date: December 11-12
Location: Mass General Brigham Assembly Row
399 Revolution Drive, Somerville, MA

Attendees networking at the 2023 Gene and Cell Therapy Research Symposium

2024 Symposium Highlights

The Gene and Cell Therapy Institute held its 2nd annual Gene and Cell Therapy Research Symposium in November 2024. The symposium welcomed approximately 500 registrants, primarily from the Mass General Brigham community. Over the course of the day-long event, Mass General Brigham investigators discussed their research across areas including platform technology, RNA medicine and cell therapy.

2024 Keynote Speakers

Crystal Mackall, MD
Stanford University
Erik Sontheimer, PhD
University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

2024 Speakers, topics and more

Day 1: November 12, 2024

Keynote Speaker
Crystal Mackall, MD | Stanford University

Gene and Cell Therapy in Neurology
Jeff Schweitzer, PhD, MD | Mass General Hospital
Brian Wainger, MD, PhD | Mass General Hospital

Platform Technology
Jeff Karp, PhD | Brigham and Women's Hospital
Mahmoud Nasr, PhD, RPh | Brigham and Women's Hospital

Patient Advocacy Fireside Chat
Pat Furlong | Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy
Nick Vita | Apriligen, Inc.
Sonia Vallabh, PhD | Broad Institute

Flash Talks
Marcela Maus, MD, PhD | MGH/ MGB Gene and Cell Therapy Institute
Natalie Artzi, PhD | BWH/ MGB Gene and Cell Therapy Institute
Patricia Musolino, MD, PhD | Mass General Hospital

Gene and Cell Therapy in Oncology
Max Jan, MD, PhD | Mass General Hospital
Edwin Choy, MD, PhD | Mass General Hospital

Day 2: November 13, 2024

Keynote Speaker
Erik Sontheimer, PhD | University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School

RNA Medicine I
Clotilde Lagier-Tourenne, MD, PhD | Mass General Hospital
Suma Babu, MBBS, MPH | Mass General Hospital

RNA Medicine II
Robert A. Wesselhoeft, PhD | MGB Gene and Cell Therapy Institute
Jonathan Gootenberg, PhD | Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

Flash Talks
E. Antonio Chiocca, MD, PhD | Brigham and Women's Hospital
Allan Goldstein, MD | Mass General Hospital
Florian Eichler, MD | Mass General Hospital

Ophthalmic and Auditory Gene Therapies
Luk Vandenberghe, PhD | Mass Eye and Ear
Zheng-Yi Chen, DPhil | Mass Eye and Ear
Patricia Musolino, MD, PhD | Mass General Hospital

Regulator Strategies for Gene and Cell Therapies: Planning for Success
Dana Hammill, MS, MBA | MGB Gene and Cell Therapy Institute
Angela Shen, MD, MBA | MGB Innovation/ Gene and Cell Therapy Institute

The 2024 symposium included an overview of the GCTI’s Spark Grant program, which funds gene and cell therapy projects by Mass General Brigham investigators that demonstrate tangible advancements toward clinical applications and commercialization outcomes including licensing, partnerships and new company creation.

2024 grant recipients

Yedda Li, MD, PhD & Florian Eichler, MD | Massachusetts General Hospital
Hematopoietic stem cell-directed precision genome editing for CNS disorders

Mark Leick, MD | Massachusetts General Hospital
Dual targeting BITE secreting CAR-T cells for AML

Nitin Joshi, PhD | Brigham and Women's Hospital & Ana Griciuc, PhD | Massachusetts General Hospital
Precision nose-to-brain gene therapy to modulate neuroinflammation

Xandra Breakefield, PhD | Massachusetts General Hospital & Yan Tang, PhD | Brigham and Women's Hospital
Gene therapy for tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)-associated disorders

Learn more about the Spark Grant program

At the 2024 symposium researchers from the wider gene and cell therapy community had the opportunity to submit abstracts for consideration to present at the poster session. This platform provided a way for participants to showcase the work they have been doing in the gene and cell therapy field, allowing them to share their research and insights.

What did you find most valuable about the symposium?

The range of the presentations - from historical overviews to current and emerging technologies - provided a valuable teaching-and-learning framework.

The ability to hear about what others are doing, the journey of CAR-T at Mass General Brigham, and the networking with keynote speakers and others.

Attendees at the 2024 GCTI symposium poster session

Contact us

Please email us with any questions about how to get involved with the symposium.

Gene and Cell Therapy Institute

Gene and cell therapy research at Mass General Brigham is rapidly advancing, pushing the technological and clinical boundaries of this new frontier. Learn more about how we are revolutionizing patient care.

Learn more